Antipasto Salad

Sorry guys! Forgot to take a picture of this one! I made this salad for an Italian themed family dinner. The dressing is so light and delicious! And the whole recipe is a cinch because all you have to do is cook the pasta, blend the dressing and assemble the other ingredients.

Antipasto Salad

Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis

Ingredients

Dressing:

1 bunch fresh basil, stems removed

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

1 lb fusilli pasta

1/2 c hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 oz)

1/2 c smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 oz)

1/4 c provolone cheese, cut into strips

1/4 c grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

1/4 c chopped olives (your favorite kind)

3 tbsp roasted red peppers, cut into strips

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Dressing: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.